Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Enemy's Obsession: Bound To The Mafia Boss: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

Chapter Twenty-one: Love, Lies, Blood Julian couldn’t look away from the black screen even after the video ended. The gunshot still echoed inside his skull, loud and cruel. Tears kept falling, hot and unstoppable, dripping onto his lap. He buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking with every sob. “He loved you… he loved me… and he died alone,” Julian whispered, voice breaking into pieces. “Patrick never deserved any of this.” Caesar stood frozen beside him, fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. His face was pale, almost grey, eyes red and glassy. “I didn’t kill him, Julian,” he said, voice low and cracked. “But I failed him. I failed to protect him… just like I’m failing you right now.” Julian’s head snapped up. “I hate you,” he spat, the words tasting like poison. “If Patrick never met you, he’d still be alive. He’d be here laughing with me, not… not dead because of your world.” Caesar dropped to his knees beside the chair, hand reaching out but stop

Chapter Twenty Three: The Awakening Storm Julian slipped out of bed before the sun was even up, his mind already racing. He grabbed his laptop, his determination burning brighter than ever. He scrolled through Patrick’s recovered files and the SD card, his eyes scanning names that looked like codes, strange shipment numbers, and foreign bank accounts linked to Portuguese and Mexican investors. It was a maze, but the answer was in here somewhere. Caesar stirred, blinking sleep from his eyes. He saw Julian hunched over the desk, biting the end of a pen in concentration. A soft smile touched his lips as he got up and walked over, wrapping his arms around Julian from behind and kissing his hair. “What are you up to, my love?” he murmured. “I’m trying to make sense of all this,” Julian said, not looking away from the screen. “It’s all in code, but there has to be something here. A clue. A next step.” “Are you sure you want to go down this road?” Caesar asked, his voice heavy

Chapter Twenty Five: Tangles Of The Past Julian was hunched over the desk, eyes burning from staring at the laptop for hours. Patrick’s old phone and SD card were spread out in front of him like pieces of a ghost. He kept replaying the same voicemail on loop, the voice low and urgent: “He deserves to know… Caesar.” Every single time it ended, his stomach twisted harder. ‘What don’t I know? What did you hide from me, Caesar?‘ His fingers trembled on the spacebar, pressing play again and again like the answer would magically appear. The memory of that blue-eyed stranger from a few days ago wouldn’t leave him either. The way the guy looked at him…like he already knew every secret Julian was desperate to uncover…sent chills down his spine even now. ***** Across town, Peter slipped into Enzo’s office carrying two mugs of coffee he definitely didn’t ask for. “Do you ever sleep, or are you secretly a robot?” Enzo didn’t even glance up from his screen. “You should be in bed.

Chapter Twenty Seven: The Monster In Us Julian’s eyes fluttered open. This wasn’t his bedroom ceiling. He was lying on a stiff, dusty bed in a dim, unfamiliar motel room. The air smelled stale. “Hey, kid. You okay? You’ve been out for a while. Got me worried.” Leo stood by the window, peering through a crack in the blinds with a gun held tight in his hand. He looked tense, on edge. “I’m okay, I think,” Julian rasped, his throat dry. “What the hell happened?” “They tried to kill you. Again.” Leo didn’t turn around, his focus on the street outside. “You have to be more careful.” “These days, it feels like I’m always in danger,” Julian whispered, sitting up slowly. “That’s because you’re getting closer to whatever they’re hiding.” Finally, Leo turned and walked over, handing him a bottle of water. “Drink. Get some rest.” “I can’t. I have to get back home,” Julian said, trying to swing his legs off the bed. “Relax, it’s past midnight. You’re not going anywhere, and I’m not let

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Silent Rage Caesar stared at the phone screen until the words burned into his eyes. “Meet me after your last class. I have more about Patrick. – Leo” His chest went tight, like someone had wrapped chains around his ribs and pulled. He forced one slow breath, marked the message unread, and placed the phone exactly how Julian left it. The bathroom door creaked open. Julian stepped out, towel low on his hips, water dripping from his hair, skin still flushed from the shower. Their eyes locked. Julian froze. The air felt wrong…heavy, dangerous. Caesar’s face was calm, but his eyes… God, those eyes were black with something Julian couldn’t name. Before he could speak, Caesar crossed the room in three strides, hand shooting out to wrap around Julian’s throat…not squeezing, just holding him against the wall. Julian’s heart slammed against his ribs. “Caesar?” His voice came out small, scared. Then Caesar smiled. That slow, sweet smile that always made Jul